If you want to make more of your outdoor space all year round why not join one of our Seasonal Gardening courses.
Workshops help you to with garden design, choosing plants and even setting up your own gardening business.
Some courses will run as online courses and some will start at Stoke Lodge. You can see the starting venue/format for each course listed below. We reserve the right to change the format of the course, in term, should safety advice change.
Japanese Garden History and Design
Explore the mystique of Japanese gardens, history and influence. The course will also cover various garden styles, how to avoid kitsch features, the proper use of water, plants and stone.
- Wednesdays 10am – 12 noon Jason Loh
- 10 sessions 13 January £140 / £84 GJ2 : Stoke Lodge
Design your own garden
An opportunity to improve and refresh your garden with support and help from a professional garden designer. You will learn how to redesign your own plot, beginning with basic principles and going on to cover choosing the right plants.
Maximum number of participants: 8 . NB It is important that participants have a garden, or part of a garden, to work on during the sessions.
Deadline for enrolment: 6 January, ie 3 weeks before the course takes place as an information pack will be sent out to students before the first session of the course.
- Wednesdays 10am – 3pm Christine Pritchard
- 3 sessions 27 January, 10 & 24 February £132/ £80 GC1 : Stoke Lodge
NEW Growing and using herbs
A practical and sensory exploration of how herbs can nourish, support and uplift us. Including herb identification and uses, tea tasting, herb growing and propagation by seed.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 12.30pm Sam Rogers
- 5 sessions 26 February £105 / £64 GS1: Stoke Lodge
NEW A series of one-off Gardening courses on Friday
An exciting new series of one-off, stand alone gardening courses covering a wide range of topics – each session is a mixture of classroom based ‘theory’ and practical, hands-on work outside in the grounds of Stoke lodge, weather permitting
NEW Propagating plants using vegetative techniques (autumn & winter)
An introductory course for keen gardeners to learn how to propagate plants using vegetative techniques.
The course will include an introduction to the principles of vegetative propagation, and will demonstrate how to prepare and care for Hardwood cuttings, root cuttings, and simple layering.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 12.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 15 January £24 / £16 GA1: Stoke Lodge
NEW Fruit tree planting, pruning, and training
An introductory course for people with no experience of growing top fruit, e.g. apples, pears, plums, etc.
The course will help students choosing the right size rootstock for their garden, demonstrate how to how to plant & support trees, and look at how to prune and train young and established fruit trees.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 3.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 22 January £48 / £30 GA2: Stoke Lodge
NEW Rose planting and pruning
This introductory course will demonstrate how to plant bare rooted and containerised roses, develop a maintenance plan, and study how to prune young and established Hybrid T, Floribunda, Shrub, Climber and Rambler roses
- Fridays 9.30pm – 12.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 29 January £24 / £16 GA3: Stoke Lodge
NEW Introduction to Organic vegetable growing
This course is for keen gardeners who would like to develop their skills and knowledge of growing vegetables using organic techniques.
The course will cover assessing and preparing a site for growing. Maintaining and improving soil condition, and helping students to plan a crop rotation. It will also look how to deal with pests and diseases, and study methods of growing a range of vegetables.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 3.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 12 February £48 / £30 GA4: Stoke Lodge
NEW Know your soil, and how to improve it
This course will enable students to identifying their soil type, and learn how to assess and improve the texture and structure of their soil. We will study how to measure soil p.H and learn about its effect on plant health and growth. Also how to maintain and improve soil condition, by the use manures/compost, growing green manures, and good soil management.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 12.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 19 February £24 / £16 GA5: Stoke Lodge
NEW Soil preparation and improvement
This course will be of interest to learners preparing ground in a garden or an allotment. It will look at how to clear, and cultivate ground ready for planting or sowing, covering a range of cultivation methods, and also No Dig growing.
Students will learn how to make and use different types of organic matter, e.g. garden compost, green manures, etc. and how to improve soil fertility by using liquid fertilisers, and compost teas.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 12.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 26 February £24 / £16 GA6: Stoke Lodge
NEW Propagating plants from seed
This course will be useful for all gardeners who sow and grow plants from seed indoors and/or outside. It will cover soil/compost preparation, choice and use of modules and seed trays, how to sow seed using a range of different sowing methods, and aftercare of seedlings.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 12.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 12 March £24 / £16 GA7: Stoke Lodge
NEW Introduction to Lawn Care
This course is for learners who want to feel more confident about establishing and managing a lawn. It will cover how to prepare the ground before sowing or laying a new lawn.
Assessing the condition of an established lawn, and developing a plan of routine lawn maintenance tasks – what to do, when, and how.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 12.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 19 March £24 / £16 GA8: Stoke Lodge
NEW Making and using garden compost, green manures, and liquid fertilisers
This course will give learners the skills and knowledge in how to make organic materials that will improve soil health and increase soil fertility. We will study how to make good garden compost, how to choose, grow, and incorporate green manures. Also how to make and use organic liquid fertilisers, and compost tea.
- Fridays 9.30pm – 12.30pm Andy Coombe
- 1 session 26 March £24 / £16 GA9: Stoke Lodge
SATURDAY GARDENING COURSES
Garden Styles
A series of short day courses designed to give you more detailed information about specific aspects of garden styles.
Garden styles: Ponds and Water Features
Focusing on ponds and water features we have an opportunity to look at both design and pond planting.
- Saturday 10am – 3pm Christine Pritchard
- 1 session 23 January £40/ £24 GC2 : Stoke Lodge
Garden styles: Woodland Garden
Focusing on woodland gardens we have an opportunity to look at both design and planting-from scratch or using existing planting.
- Saturday 10am – 3pm Christine Pritchard
- 1 session 6 February £40/ £24 GC3 : Stoke Lodge
Garden styles: Front Garden
Focusing on the front garden, we will have the opportunity to look at both design and planting.
- Saturday 10am – 3pm Christine Pritchard
- 1 session 6 March £40/ £24 GC5 : Stoke Lodge
Garden styles: Cottage Garden
Focusing on cottage gardens we have an opportunity to look at both design and planting-historically and in the future.
- Saturday 10am – 3pm Christine Pritchard
- 1 session 20 March £40/ £24 GC7 : Stoke Lodge